Community antenna television (“CATV”) networks have been used for more then four decades to deliver television programming to a large number of subscribers. Increasingly, CATV networks are used by providers to provide data services to subscribers. For example, cable modems used in a broadband cable modem termination system (“CMTS”) compete with digital subscriber lines (“DSL”) and DSL modems used therein, which are typically implemented and supported by telephone companies. DSL service is typically provided over the same wires as a residence's telephone service.
In the cable distribution context, a CMTS typically transmits downstream data to a cable modem (“CM”). The data sent to a CM can include packets containing voice call information, interne data, or video content, for examples. In the scenario where video is transmitted downstream from the CMTS to a CM, multiple program streams may be served by multiple media access control (“MAC”) domains. Different MAC domains may be located at the same service provider head end, or may be geographically spread amount multiple head end locations.
When a user is viewing a program and wishes to change to a different program, the user typically causes a set top box, or such similar subscriber device, to change to a different program identifier that corresponds to the new program the subscriber wishes to receive. If program streams corresponding to the newly selected program streams are serviced by, or delivered from, a different MAC domain than is delivering the currently viewed program, the subscriber device typically informs the current MAC domain that it is ending the session with the current MAC domain. Next, the subscriber device typically tunes to a frequency of a downstream channel over which the newly selected program is delivered. After tuning to the new channel, the subscriber device typically registers with the new MAC domain that services the newly selected program stream(s). The registering process can take a long time relative to the amount of time a user may be used to in changing television stations between two analog-delivered channels. This time delay can be annoying and tarnish a viewers experience in using his or television, or other similar video monitor device.
Thus, there is a need in the art for method for facilitating the changing of channels delivering different video content that reduces the amount of time between channel changes when the different program channels are served by different MAC domains.